Apple reportedly prepping suppliers for heavy iPhone 7 demand

Apple has reportedly asked its suppliers to produce as many as 78 million iPhone 7 units by the end of this year. That’s according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily (via Barron’s Asia), which reports that Apple has placed orders for between 72 and 78 million units total.

As noted in the report, that would make this year’s the highest production target since the launch of the iPhone 6. The number also runs counter to previous analyst estimates, which pegged the supplier target at around 65 million. Foxconn is once again expected to be the primary assembler, while Pegatron will be involved as well.

Little is certain about the iPhone 7 at the moment, with conflicting rumors and leaks concerning the handset popping up on a near dailybasis. However, it is expected that the iPhone 7 will look much like the current iPhone 6s line, albeit with slightly altered antenna lines. Rumors have also suggested that a larger iPhone 7 Plus may carry a dual camera setup on its rear, along with the possible addition of an iPad Pro-like Smart Connector.

Finally, it’s expected that the iPhone 7 may ditch the headphone jack in favor of routing audio through the lightning port, and the phone may even pack a set of stereo speakers, according to a recent supposed case leak.